महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-7, chapter-20, verse-36

हस्तिग्राहां केतुवृक्षां क्षत्रियाणां निमज्जनीम् ।
क्रूरां शरीरसंघाटां सादिनक्रां दुरत्ययाम् ।
द्रोणः प्रावर्तयत्तत्र नदीमन्तकगामिनीम् ॥३६॥

36. hastigrāhāṁ ketuvṛkṣāṁ kṣatriyāṇāṁ nimajjanīm ,
krūrāṁ śarīrasaṁghāṭāṁ sādinakrāṁ duratyayām ,
droṇaḥ prāvartayattatra nadīmantakagāminīm.

36. hastigrāhām ketuvṛkṣām kṣatriyāṇām
nimajjanīm krūrām śarīrasaṃghāṭām
sādinakrām duratyayām droṇaḥ
prāvartayat tatra nadīm antakagāminīm

36. droṇaḥ tatra antakagāminīm duratyayām
krūrām nadīm hastigrāhām
ketuvṛkṣām kṣatriyāṇām nimajjanīm
śarīrasaṃghāṭām sādinakrām prāvartayat

36. There, Drona set in motion a cruel river, difficult to cross, that led to Yama (death). It caught elephants, had banners (ketu) as its trees, drowned Kṣatriyas, formed heaps of bodies, and had cavalry (sādin) as its crocodiles.

Words meanings summery:

• हस्तिग्राहाम् (hastigrāhām) - describing the river as catching elephants, indicating the scale of destruction (catching elephants, having elephants as catches)

• केतुवृक्षाम् (ketuvṛkṣām) - describing the river (battlefield) with war banners standing like trees (having banners as trees)

• क्षत्रियाणाम् (kṣatriyāṇām) - referring to the warrior class that is being drowned in the river of death (of Kṣatriyas, of warriors)

• निमज्जनीम् (nimajjanīm) - describing the river as drowning Kṣatriyas (drowning, submerging)

• क्रूराम् (krūrām) - describing the nature of the river as cruel (cruel, fierce, severe)

• शरीरसंघाटाम् (śarīrasaṁghāṭām) - describing the river as containing heaps of fallen bodies (having heaps of bodies, body-piled)

• सादिनक्राम् (sādinakrām) - describing the river (battlefield) with cavalry as its fierce crocodiles (having cavalry as crocodiles)

• दुरत्ययाम् (duratyayām) - describing the river as difficult to cross due to its dangers (difficult to cross, impassable, hard to overcome)

• द्रोणः (droṇaḥ) - The great warrior and teacher Drona, who initiated this 'river of death' (Drona)

• प्रावर्तयत् (prāvartayat) - Drona caused the metaphorical 'river of death' to flow (caused to flow, set in motion, created)

• तत्र (tatra) - there, in that place

• नदीम् (nadīm) - the metaphorical 'river of death' created by Drona (river)

• अन्तकगामिनीम् (antakagāminīm) - describing the river as leading warriors to death (leading to Yama (death), going to the destroyer)

Words meanings and morphology

हस्तिग्राहाम् (hastigrāhām) - describing the river as catching elephants, indicating the scale of destruction (catching elephants, having elephants as catches)

(adjective)

Accusative, feminine, singular of hastigrāhā

hastigrāhā - one that catches elephants, a river with elephants as its prey

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (hastin+grāhā)

• hastin – elephant
  noun (masculine)
• grāhā – catcher, holding, grasping (feminine)
  noun (feminine)
  Root: grah (class 9)

केतुवृक्षाम् (ketuvṛkṣām) - describing the river (battlefield) with war banners standing like trees (having banners as trees)

(adjective)

Accusative, feminine, singular of ketuvṛkṣā

ketuvṛkṣā - one that has banners as trees (figuratively)

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (ketu+vṛkṣa)

• ketu – banner, flag, standard
  noun (masculine)
• vṛkṣa – tree
  noun (masculine)

क्षत्रियाणाम् (kṣatriyāṇām) - referring to the warrior class that is being drowned in the river of death (of Kṣatriyas, of warriors)

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, plural of kṣatriya

kṣatriya - a member of the warrior class, warrior, ruler

निमज्जनीम् (nimajjanīm) - describing the river as drowning Kṣatriyas (drowning, submerging)

(adjective)

Accusative, feminine, singular of nimajjanī

nimajjanī - one that causes to sink or drown, drowning, submerging (feminine)

agent noun

From root majj with prefix ni

Prefix: ni

Root: majj (class 6)

क्रूराम् (krūrām) - describing the nature of the river as cruel (cruel, fierce, severe)

(adjective)

Accusative, feminine, singular of krūrā

krūrā - cruel, fierce, severe, harsh

शरीरसंघाटाम् (śarīrasaṁghāṭām) - describing the river as containing heaps of fallen bodies (having heaps of bodies, body-piled)

(adjective)

Accusative, feminine, singular of śarīrasaṃghāṭā

śarīrasaṁghāṭā - having a collection or heap of bodies

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (śarīra+saṃghāṭa)

• śarīra – body
  noun (neuter)
• saṃghāṭa – collection, heap, mass, accumulation
  noun (masculine)
  Prefix: sam

सादिनक्राम् (sādinakrām) - describing the river (battlefield) with cavalry as its fierce crocodiles (having cavalry as crocodiles)

(adjective)

Accusative, feminine, singular of sādinakrā

sādinakrā - having cavalry as crocodiles (figuratively)

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (sādin+nakra)

• sādin – horseman, cavalryman, rider
  noun (masculine)
• nakra – crocodile, alligator
  noun (masculine)

दुरत्ययाम् (duratyayām) - describing the river as difficult to cross due to its dangers (difficult to cross, impassable, hard to overcome)

(adjective)

Accusative, feminine, singular of duratyayā

duratyayā - difficult to cross, hard to overcome, impassable

Compound type : prādi (dur+ati+aya)

• dur – difficult, bad, hard
  indeclinable
• atya – to be crossed, crossed over
  adjective (neuter)
  gerundive
  From root 'i' (to go) with prefix 'ati'
  Prefix: ati
  Root: i (class 2)

द्रोणः (droṇaḥ) - The great warrior and teacher Drona, who initiated this 'river of death' (Drona)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of droṇa

droṇa - Drona (a proper name), a measure of capacity, a trough

प्रावर्तयत् (prāvartayat) - Drona caused the metaphorical 'river of death' to flow (caused to flow, set in motion, created)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, imperfect past (laṅ) of pra-vṛt

Causative of pra-vṛt (root vṛt with prefix pra)

Prefix: pra

Root: vṛt (class 1)

तत्र (tatra) - there, in that place

(indeclinable)

नदीम् (nadīm) - the metaphorical 'river of death' created by Drona (river)

(noun)

Accusative, feminine, singular of nadī

nadī - river

अन्तकगामिनीम् (antakagāminīm) - describing the river as leading warriors to death (leading to Yama (death), going to the destroyer)

(adjective)

Accusative, feminine, singular of antakagāminī

antakagāminī - leading to death, going to Yama

Feminine of antakagāmin (antaka + gāmin)

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (antaka+gāminī)

• antaka – Yama (god of death), destroyer, end
  noun (masculine)
• gāminī – going, leading to, moving towards (feminine)
  adjective (feminine)
  agent noun
  Feminine of gāmin
  Root: gam (class 1)